J. W. Pepper Sousaphone: Museum Object and Cultural History

The object in the museum catalogue

This sousaphone was made by J.W. Pepper in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, around 1898-1902. It is a BB-flat sousaphone, serial #46725, made of brass with 3 Perinet piston valves. This instrument is engraved:

James Welsh Pepper (1853-1919), was an American music publisher and musical instrument maker and importer Pepper started his business as a small print shop and teaching music lessons, in 1875. By 1877, he opened a retail store in Philadelphia, selling sheet music and musical instruments. When a second location was opened in New York in 1880, Pepper established a relationship with London-born musical instrument maker, Henry Distin, to manufacture instruments for sale in his shops. By 1886, Pepper had expanded his business with a shop in Chicago. In 1910, Pepper discontinued manufacturing instruments but continued to import instruments from Europe until the beginning of WWI. After Pepper’s death in 1919, the focus of the business was on music publishing.

Materials, dates and provenance

• date made: 1898-1902
• maker: J. W. Pepper & Son
• Object Name: Sousaphone
• Physical Description: brass (overall material)
• Measurements: overall: bell: 27 1/2 in x 31 1/2 in; 69.85 cm x 80.01 cm
• Measurements: overall: sousaphone body: 11 in x 28 in x 35 1/2 in; 27.94 cm x 71.12 cm x 90.17 cm
• place made: United States: Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
• ID Number: MI.73.37
• catalog number: 73.37
• accession number: 304390
• Credit Line: Gift of Thomas R. McAllister
• Data Source: National Museum of American History

Sources and reuse

Catalogue descriptions and facts adapted from National Museum of American History through the Smithsonian's official Open Access dataset. This record explicitly marks its metadata CC0 1.0; formatting and selection have been changed.